Remember the Iconoclast, this small Crawford newspaper that endorsed Kerry.
He is reporting on "Kids Come First Act"
Fir
http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/News/2005/21-30/29news04.htmKerry Pushing For ‘Kids Come First Act’
WASHINGTON — Former Presidential candidate John Kerry says that it is “totally unacceptable that, in the greatest country in the world, millions of children are not getting the health care they need. That’s why I have introduced the Kids Come First Act.”
The movement is intended to persuade the Federal government to provide this need.
“In the Senate, I am working hard to convince my colleagues to co-sponsor this vitally important bill,” said Kerry. “But, the most important co-sponsors — the ones who can help push this legislation through a Republican Congress and the Bush White House — are the h undreds of thousands of grassroots activists in the <johnkerry.com> community.”
Kerry notes that currently a fourth of the nation’s children are not fully up to date on their basic immunizations, a third with chronic asthma do not get a prescription for medications they need, half of uninsured children have not had a well child visit in the past year, one in six has delayed or unmet medical needs, one in five has trouble accessing health care, a fourth does not see the dentist annually, and a third had no health insurance during 2002 or 2003.
“Helping the 11 million children who have no health coverage isn’t even on the radar screen of the Bush administration and the Republican leaders in Congress,” Kerry said. “But, we’re going to put it there.”
“To date, over 470,000 Americans have signed our Kids Come First petition,” said Kerry. “We’re closing in on our immediate goal of 500,000 before President Bush makes his State of the Union Address. We’ll build from there until we stand one million strong. We’ve got to put getting our children the health care they need at the top of our national agenda. It won’t be easy, but we will never relent until we find a way to put Kids First.”